Packit Gourmet: Cajun Ranch Chicken Salad

Today was the second day in a row where temperatures have been over 90 degrees F in Massachusetts and firing up my stove was not on the agenda. So I decided to try Packit Gourmet’s Cajun Ranch Chicken Salad this evening, which just needs 3/4 of a cup of regular water to make.

This meal comes with a seasoned bag of dehydrated chicken, a small packet of cranberries, a packet of ranch dressing and two small packets of mayonnaise. To make it, you combine all of the ingredients with the water, stir, and let stand for 5 minutes. That’s it.

Weighing only 6.7 oz dry, this meal packs a substantial 900 calories of energy, most of it in the form of fat from the mayo and dressing. When I’m backpacking, I’m burning more energy per day than I can consume, so I try to catch up up at night with a larger meal that is high in fat or carbohydrate content like salami, cheese, olive oil, and pasta.

This evening, I ate the Canjun Ranch Chicken Salad with Wheat Thins. I regularly carry these crackers on the trail because don’t break up in my food bag and because they have enough salt to keep my electrolytes balanced.

Tastewise, this chicken salad tastes like the stuff you’d get in a restaurant and not at all like the crunchy chicken you get with dehydrated meals sold by other commercial backpacking food vendors.

I have to say, that Packit Gourmet continues to amaze me with the tastiness and quality of their dehydrated backpacking meals. You owe it to yourself to try a few of them on your next trip. They’re so good, that there’s almost no point in trying to make your own.

Disclosure: The author owns this product and purchased it using their own funds.

2 comments

I love Packit Gourmet freeze dried components. I did lots of freezer bag combos for my last trip and they were better than any of the ready made backpacker freeze dried stuff. I felt like I was getting the veggies I miss in my everyday life…and theirs taste good when they are reconstituted. My base for several of these mixed up combos was whole wheat couscous and I used their freeze dried chicken, beef, or cheese for a protein source. A few spices built a little variety in each meal.

Thanks for the P.G. prepped meal reviews. I was in do it yourself mode so I didn't buy any. Still I was curious.

Yep! Ford LOVES the chicken salads from PIG. And I too love them. I know I could make my own, but honestly, it is SO easy to get the ready to go kit from them :-D And price wise they are a good deal versus making your own with the chicken.